BNSF to develop $28-million logistics facility in Sweetwater, Texas

BNSF plans to develop a $28-million logistics center and make improvements to an existing rail yard and mainline infrastructure in Sweetwater, Texas.

The new logistics center is designed to meet the growing supply chain needs of a strong energy corridor across Texas for many energy-related commodities such as fracking sand, aggregate, pipe, clay, barite and other drilling materials in the Permian Basin and Cline Shale. The facility will also support the strength of Texas agriculture.

"BNSF's $28 million capital investment in the new Sweetwater logistics facility is an investment in the rebirth of the energy industry in west Texas and of a retired, 75-acre BNSF rail yard," said Dave Garin, BNSF group vice president industrial products. "Our objective with Sweetwater is to meet our customers' expectations and offer expanded capacity where growth is occurring for energy and agriculture."

The Sweetwater project will enhance the area's agricultural transportation capacity through a collaboration with Cape & Son, which is expanding operations to accommodate grain unit trains as part of the new development. The project will realign some of the existing track to allow for loading grain unit trains.

The Sweetwater expansion will result in 40,000 feet of new tracks, upgrading of the Sweetwater Yard track and improving the branch line that serves central Texas. The capital improvement is part of a record $4.3 billion network-wide investment for BNSF in 2013.

The BNSF Logistics Center at Sweetwater is expected to be ready for business before the end of summer 2014.